So my apt manager just knocked on my door and asked if I could look at her computer. Her mouse quit working, and she bought a new one but the new one wasn’t working either. Well, she’s running Win3.1 on top of DOS, and the mouse is a USB model plugged into the mouse jack through an adaptor. The existing mouse driver doesn’t recognize the mouse (surprise, surprise!). Is it possible to make this work with the right driver?
It’s not officially supported, but there are 3rd party drivers out there that work with limited success. Check here.
If it’s plugged into the mouse jack, it’s not really acting as a USB device is it? I doubt a USB driver would make any difference.
You’re right, I missed that part.
Win3.1 supports USB?
I don’t have an answer to the problem, but I just had to chime in and say, “Oh, the nostalgia!” (wipes a tear from the corner of his eye).
Just for the general record, we have some newer Dell and IBM computers at work. USB mice and floppy drives work just fine with them in DOS, with no special drivers. I assume it’s the BIOS providing the support, but haven’t been interested enough to look into it. Maybe it’s the version of DOS I’m using (IBM PC-DOS 7.01, I think).
Until now, we haven’t had much as far as USB devices around the office, at least not that I’ve tried to use with DOS, so maybe the support has been there for a while.
Since the OP stated using the USB mouse with the provided PS/2 adapter, I would agree with previous comments that it’s not really performing as a USB mouse. It may still need a new driver, though.
Logitechs site indicates the USB/PS2 combo mice are supported under DOS/3.1 so it should work.
wow, and I was about to snicker… Ingenuity strikes again. 
Huh. Well, I couldn’t make it work. Course, I’m no hardware wizard, either. The BIOS didn’t seem to think there was anything plugged into the mouse jack. I dug up an old ps2 intellimouse and gave it to her instead. I warned her that it was old and prone to not working perfectly (less than perfect switch contacts, though not terrible, and tends to skip with the least bit of grunge on the rollers), but she seems happy enough. So long as she can play her Jezzball in the morning, apparently.
mmkay…lol